Five Cheap Ways to 300 Horsepower

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Five Cheap Ways to 300 Horsepower

Sean Tucker

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Sean Tucker is a veteran automotive journalist and critic, who has been published on Yahoo.com, AOL.com, MSN.com, in U.S. News & World Report, and... More

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2,015 views August 12, 2010

2011 Mustang V6

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A generation ago, it was a barrier only exotic supercars with six-figure stickers could cross.Today, you can get there in a family sedan.

The 300 horsepower barrier isn't what it used to be. Thanks to technologies like direct injection, turbocharging and valve timing, engineers today can get pulse-quickening power from a V-6, and put it in range of many family budgets. We found five ways to get there under $30,000.

2011 Mustang GT 5.0

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2011 Ford Mustang V6 Coupe

The muscle car wars used to be all about V-8 power. Now, they're more nuanced, with manufacturers looking to extract true muscle car performance from more fuel-efficient engines. Ford has done an outstanding job of that with its new V-6-powered Mustang, good for 305 horsepower, even at a price tag below $24k. The least-expensive Mustang is no longer just about looks. It manages a 5.5-second zero-to-sixty time and 31 mpg on the highway.